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Israel Strikes Kill Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera Journalists in Gaza
At least 20 people, including five journalists working for Reuters, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera, and other outlets, were killed when Israel struck Nasser Hospital in the south of the Gaza Strip on Monday.
Cameraman Hussam al-Masri, a Reuters contractor, died near a live broadcasting position on an upper floor just below the roof of the hospital in Khan Younis, Palestinian health officials said. Following the initial strike, a second attack hit the site, killing additional journalists, rescue workers, and medics who had rushed to assist, Reuters reported.
The journalists killed include Mariam Abu Dagga, who freelanced for the Associated Press and other outlets; Mohammed Salama, who worked for Al Jazeera; Moaz Abu Taha, a freelance journalist contributing to multiple organisations including Reuters; and Ahmed Abu Aziz. Photographer Hatem Khaled, also a Reuters contractor, was wounded.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office described the incident as a “tragic mishap,” stressing that Israel’s war was against Hamas, not medical staff or journalists.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed striking Nasser Hospital and announced an inquiry ordered by the Chief of the General Staff. The IDF said: “We regret any harm to uninvolved individuals and do not target journalists as such. The IDF acts to mitigate harm to uninvolved individuals as much as possible while maintaining the safety of IDF troops.”
A Reuters spokesperson said: “We are devastated to learn that cameraman Hussam al-Masri, a contractor for Reuters, was killed this morning in Israeli strikes on Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in Gaza. Moaz Abu Taha, a freelance journalist whose work had been occasionally published by Reuters, was also killed, and photographer Hatem Khaled, a Reuters contractor, was wounded. We are urgently seeking more information and have asked authorities in Gaza and Israel to help us get urgent medical assistance for Hatem.”
US President Donald Trump, when informed of the killings, expressed his displeasure: “When did this happen? I didn’t know that. Well, I’m not happy about it. I don’t want to see it. At the same time, we have to end that whole nightmare,” he said.
The AP said it was “shocked and saddened” by Abu Dagga’s death, noting she had frequently based herself at the hospital for coverage, including reporting on starving and malnourished children.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Palestinian presidency called on the international community, especially the UN Security Council and the United Nations, to protect journalists and hold Israel accountable.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the strikes, saying: “This represents an open war against free media, with the aim of terrorising journalists and preventing them from fulfilling their professional duty of exposing its crimes to the world.” The syndicate added that more than 240 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since the war began on October 7, 2023.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, which recorded 197 journalists and media workers killed since the start of the war, including 189 Palestinians, called on “the international community to hold Israel accountable for its continued unlawful attacks on the press.”
Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin said: “Reporting from an active war zone carries immense risk, especially in a war with a terrorist organisation such as Hamas, who cynically hides behind the civilian population. As always, we will present our findings as transparently as possible.”
Separately, Nasser Hospital doctors reported that Israeli gunfire at a tent encampment in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis killed local journalist Hassan Dohan and wounded others. Two weeks earlier, Israel killed Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif and four other journalists, acknowledging targeting Sharif, who the broadcaster denied was affiliated with Hamas.
Reuters confirmed that its live video feed from the hospital, operated by Masri, abruptly shut down during the initial strike.
Israel has barred foreign journalists from entering Gaza since 2023. Reporting from the territory has relied on Palestinian journalists, many of whom have longstanding ties with international media, including Reuters and the Associated Press. Israel is also investigating the death of Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, killed by Israeli tank fire in southern Lebanon in October 2023.
